Improvement in reaping-machines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB J. MANN AND H. F. MANN, OF WESTVILLE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN REAPlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 15,044, dated June 3, 1856.

'fo all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JACOB J. MANN and H. F. MANN, of Westville, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improveinentsin Reaping-Machines; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specitication, in which- Figure l is a plan or top view of our improved machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section ot' the endless apron and platform, a; w, Fig. 1,showing the plane ot section. Fig. 3 is a more enlarged portion of the endless apron as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the endless apron, platform, concave, and revolving plate, y y, Fig. l, showing the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The various devices heretofore employed in that class of endless-apron platforms for reaping-machines which pursue an elevated angle after passing beyond the cutter-bar, for preserving during that portion thereof its horizontalism, are objectionable from the fact that unless the grain falls entirely on such apron, which is surely the case, the apron takes hold chieliy on the heads of the grain, while the butts lie upon the front of the platform or tin ger-bar and are retarded thereby, and even it' it does so fall, the heavy heads hugging .more closely to the apron than the butts, the

latter slip, thus in either case greatly destroying the good order in which the grain would otherwise be carried up; and our invention consists in such a method of securing the horizontal and elevated course of the apron as shall remedy this difficulty.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct our invention, we will proceed to describe it.

rlhe general construction of our reaper is the same as most of those in use. It consists of a horizontal platform, A, and frame-work, B, supported by wheels O 1),() being the drivingwheel, from which motion is communicated to the cutters (not represented) by the usual connecting-rod and crank.

E represents the endless apron, which works over rollers a I), one roller, a, being at the outer end of the platform A and the other roller, b, being at the upper end of an inclined frame, F, (see Fig. 4,) the lower end of the frame F joining the platform A and the upper end being in line with the side of the framework B. The endless apron is provided on its onter surface with transverse cleats or bars c, placed at a suitable distance apart, and its under surface is also provided with transverse cleats or bars d, (see Figs. 2, 3, and 4,) the cleats or bars d not extending quite to the edge of the apron, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. To the outer surfaces of the cleats or bars d there are secured metallic strips e, which extend outward, leaving recesses fbetween the apron E and metallic strips c, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. The roller b at the upper end of the inclined frame F has recesses g in its periphery, in which recesses the cleats or hars d on the inner side of the endless apron E fit when passing around it. (See Fig. 4.) At the front side of the platform A there is secured a thin metal bar, Gr, the inner edge ot' which ts into the recessesf between the apron E and metallic strips e. At the back side of the platform A there is secured a metal bar, H, underneath which the end'sof the cleats or bars c pass. (See Fig. 2.) The roller bis provided with a long axis, lt, having a pinion, t', at its end, which is connected by pinionsjj with gear or teeth on the driving-wheel O. Motion is thereby communicated to the endless apron as the machine is drawn along. Various plans, however, may be devised for driving the endless apron.

I, Figs. l and 4, is a concave placed at the outer side ofthe inclined frame F, and having a revolving rake, J, supported by the pieces m m Workin g over it.

K is the usual reel by which the cut grain is thrown on the platform or endless apron.

Operation: As the machine is drawn along the standing grain is cut by the cutters and falls, as usual, upon the endless apron E on the platform A. The endless apron moves in thedirection indicated by the arrows, (Figs. l and 4,) and the cleats or bars c hold the cut grain upon the apron while it is conveyed up the inclined frame F. The speciiic gravity of the heads of the cut grain being so much greater than that of the butts, they adhere more firmly to the revolving apron, and have a tendency to run up rst, thus throwing the grain into a confused pile; but by dispensing with a strip or bar over the apronin front, by placing the bar G underneath, and by extending the cleats c as near the cutter-edge as our improvement enables us to do, the cut grain is carried up and delivered in good order for binding. rlhe cut grain is thrown by the revolving apron E into the concave I, where it is retained bythe rake J. Vhen the cut grain is being delivered into the concave I the rake J is heldwith its teeth nearly perpendicular by a person seated upon the seat L. Vhen enough ofthe cut grain has been delivered into the concave to form a bundle, by a quick semirevolution of the rake J, tht part intended for the -bundle is quickly separated at M, Fig'. 4, and thrown upon the ground in a compact form. While the motion ot the rake J is being,` stopped when the sen'ii-revolution is completed, the cut grain is retained in the concave until by a similar process again thrown out into a bundle. In consequence of the metallic bars G H the vapron E is kept perfectly horizontal while passing over the platform A, the ends of the cleats or bars c working` under the bar H at the back part of the platform, and the inner edge ofthe bar G, at the front part ofthe platform, working or fitting in the recesses j' between the edge ot" the apron E and metallic strips e. position of the apron in the absence of any contrivance to hold it down to the horizontal part ofthe frame. When the grain is cut and has fallen upon the apron, this being by means of the bar or plate Gr and strip c, brought close up to the cutter-bar, the butts are not retarded by friction, but are carried up by the slats or cleats c on the apron, while the heads, which, being generally heaviest, naturally hug the The blue lines in Fig. 4 denote the apron closest, and would, were it not for the bar H, be carried up irst, are somewhat retarded by friction against said bar, upon which they fall to some extent. Thus the effect otherwise resulting from the diii'erence of weight inthe heads and butts of grain is counteracted, and itis delivered in a straight and even manner to the action of the revolving` rake J, which divides it into gavels.

We claim no part ot the general construction ofthe above machine as new, and we are well aware that we have been anticipated in the use ot" an endless apron passing horizontally across the space otherwise occupied by the platform, whence it ascends in anA angle to'deposit the grain in a receiver, which retains it until a suflicient amount has accumulated to form a gavel, when it is separated from the ascending grain by a raking attachment and discharged upon the ground. le are also aware that in such elevating endless aprons slots or cleats have been used to retain the grain thereon.

What therefore we consider as new and et' our own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination ofthe bar or plate H,orof other equivalent device at the back ot' the apron, with the strip c beneath the apron and the bar or plate G upon the finger-bar, under which the said strip e and over which the apron extends, or with other equivalent device, substantially as and for the purpose above set 

